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Monday, June 18, 2012

Like I said, the best camera is the one that's with you. I was quite serious when I said I will document (visually) my recent travels using just my iPhone instead of my DSLR. As promised, I carried just my iPhone in my jeans pocket during my recent visits to London & Paris. The results and overall experience turned out to be quite satisfying. Smartphone photography has its technically limitation but with enough practices, one can overcome them with different smartphone photography software as well as acquired skills. Let me share some of the images I took in London using my iPhone with post-processing applied using Snapseed, Instagram, Camera+ and TiltShiftGen.

Oxford Street

It wasn't planned but my London visit turned out to be during The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration. The city was full of joy, full of cheerful mood and the Union Jack can be seen almost in every corner of London. Whoever supplied / manufactured those flags are smiling for sure! Many Diamond Jubilee themed products can be seen in most, if not all, stores you step into. I was amazed at the scale of the celebration and truly wonder about the cost of it and how much taxpayer money was spent on this week long or perhaps month long (including preparation and the extra bank holiday) celebration. As stated in the The Guardian, "The culture department has estimated that the extra bank holiday could cost Britain's ailing economy £1.2bn," and the "cost of Queen's ceremonies 'unknown as yet'." I am not saying that it is not worth the celebration, it was truly a celebration that was once in a life time for the country as well as the Queen. As commented by many, Queen Elizabeth II is one of the few or perhaps the only one in England's history that acted as the head of state for such long time without a single flaw since her coronation 60 years ago. The word 'flaw' is quite tricky but generally speaking, we haven't heard any negative thing about the Queen right? Or she misbehaved in any sense? Anyhow, enjoy the smartphone photographs I took! :)

You were definitely lucky to be in the city in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Though, regardless of any occasion, a trip to London is simply the best! The last time I was in London was still vivid in my memory and I'm hoping to come back there someday. And I'll definitely book a hotel in Central London since most of the tourist spot is located there.

Hey, we were there too during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration! And it seems London is in jolly spirit during these times! In every corner, you will see a banner or anything dedicated to the Queen. Even our hotel gives a free mug with the Queen's picture in it.